My (Brother's) Son
by MusicHeart08
Summary: In the blink of an eye, your whole world can change. Sometimes all it takes is one little decision. An Alternate Universe where Ben Parker was the one who became Spider-Man, after the brutal murder of his nephew, Peter. (Starting with the heartbreaking scene)


**I legitimately cried while writing this. No Lie!**

**My original idea for this story what that during an accident in his lab, Tony was transported to an alternate dimension. One where Spider-Man is much more brutal, much older, and _NOT PETER!_**

**I can only imagine how the conversation between Tony and Ben would go.**

**Anyway, enjoy my angst!**

* * *

Peter Parker bounced down the steps of Oscorp with his usual happy smile on his face. His backpack bouncing against his back at the motion.

When he had reached the last step, the boy paused so he could reach up to readjust his glasses, the bouncing had caused them to fall down his nose just a bit.

"Hey, kid!"

Peter looked up in surprise to see Ben sitting on a nearby bench, apparently waiting on him.

"Hey Ben!" the teen greeted with a smile as the grown man approached him, "What're you doing here? I told you I could walk home by myself,"

"Yeah I know, Petey," Ben said, ruffling the boys' hair, "But there's been a lot of crime in the area lately. So, until my car is fixed, I'd prefer this,"

"C' mon Uncle Ben, I'm fifteen," Peter argued while fixing his hair, "I've lived in Queens my whole life, I'm old enough to walk here and home by myself,"

"Yes, I know. But according to the unofficial laws of Unclehood, it's obligated that I see you make it from your internship to home with my own eyes,"

Peter sighed in defeat, "True, but it is unofficial,"

The older man laughed as he wrapped an arm around his nephew's shoulder and held him close.

"So how was the internship?"

"Good. They're doing this new genetic enhanced projects on spiders," Peter finished off that sentence with a shiver.

"Ooo, that's gotta be rough on a kid who's afraid of spiders," Uncle Ben chuckled while Peter glared harshly at him.

* * *

Dark clouds began to cover the evening sky. Causing more people to retreat inside at the promise of rain.

Meanwhile, Peter and Ben were still walking the streets of New York, barely even halfway home, when a loud boom of thunder echoes across the darkening sky.

Ben bit back a groan as light raindrops began to sprinkle on top of their heads.

"Any chance that you brought an umbrella?" Peter asked, wiping the raindrops from his glasses.

"Nope,"

The raindrops began to fall even harder.

As the two passed a streetlight, Ben noticed an alley that was covered by a part of the building so no rain could be inside.

"Here," the older man nudges his nephew's shoulder, "Let's take a shortcut,"

Peter nodded and followed his Uncle down the alley.

The streetlights at both ends of the alley provided some light so they weren't completely in the dark.

Ahead in the alley, the silhouette of a man with a hood pulled over his head began to approach the two.

Ben held Peter closer and tried to speed up their pace to leave faster but…

"Hold It!" The shadowed man said sternly, raising his hand from his pocket. Revealing a shiny black gun.

Peter gasped in shock as Ben quickly pushed his nephew behind him for safety.

"Give me your wallet!"

"B- Ben?" Peter stammered, his eyes locked fearfully on the weapon.

"It's okay Peter," Ben reassured, keeping himself in between the gun and his nephew. The older man glanced behind the mugger, a few people had passed by but none of them saw the crime that was occurring inside the alley.

Ben held his hands calmly in front of his, " Look don't do this not in front of my kid-"

"Do I look like I'm joking? You see this?" The man snapped as he shook the gun a bit, "Money. Now!"

Peter began to shake, Ben didn't need to turn around to see how frightened he was.

How was no one seeing what was happening?

"Okay, okay," Ben quickly reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. His heart began to race when he saw that he only had a few dollar bills in, barely anything more than $20.

"Here," he said, hiding his fear as he held out the money, "This is all I have on me,"

The man sneered as he took the small amount, obviously displeased.

At that moment, Peter wrapped his arms closer around his Uncle's waist, causing his sleeve to rise up and his watch to be slightly exposed.

But just enough for the thief to notice.

"Now, give me the watch," the man snarled, raising the gun again.

Peter jumped and yanked his arm back into the shadows. Ben stood his ground.

"No, leave him out of this. He's just a k-"

"I wasn't talking to you," the man snapped, "Hand it over, Brat!"

Anger filled Ben's chest as Peter began shaking even harder.

"B- but Ben," the boy stammered, "Y- you-you gave this to me f- for my-

"Watch!"

Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder boomed across the sky, along with a bright flash of lightning.

Concealed in the quick blink of light, Ben lunged forward and grabbed the man's arm, yanking the limb into the air. Aimed away from Peter.

The thief snapped out of his shock and tried to pull away but Ben held onto him. The struggle caused both men to spin aimlessly around in circles. Each one desperately trying to grab the gun.

In the fight, the mugger's grasp on the weapon tightened.

_**BOOM!**_

A shot rang through the air.

Ben slammed his elbow against the man's arm, finally causing him to drop the gun. After swiftly kicking the weapon away, Ben kicked the mugger shin and slammed his boy harshly against the stone ground.

That was it. It was over now.

Except it wasn't.

From the silence of the alley, a small voice spoke up.

"… Uncle Ben?"

The sound of his nephews' scared voice caused Ben to snap his head up so fast that it almost snapped.

Peter was in the same spot Ben had left him but something was very wrong. The boys' body was shaking, his mouth was slightly open making his shaky breath hearable ever from their distance. And one of his hands was clutching his side, just near his rib cage.

That's when Ben noticed the blood growing from beneath his nephew's hand.

"Petey?" the older man whispered.

While he was distracted, the mugger shoved Ben off of him. When the older man fell to the ground, the thief ran out of the alley.

Leaving the gun in the shadows, and Peter to bleed.

Ben quickly stood back on his feet. Slowly, he walked closer to Peter as if approaching a wounded animal.

"You're alright, you're alright," The older man reassured, despite the shakiness in his voice.

"Ben, some - something happened," Peter said between gasps, "Something's wrong,"

Holding his larger hand against's the boys' colder one, Ben gently removed Peter's hand to examine the wound. The man was horrified at the bullet wound that was just below Peter's heart. Blood was pouring out.

Ben quickly pulled off his own jacket and pressed it against his nephews wound in order to stop the blood. It didn't help, more blood poured out and stained the man's brown jacket.

"U- Uncle Ben, th- that's a lot of blood," Peter gasped as he watched his own blood spill out.

"No, no. It's fine," Ben insisted, moving Peter's hand to hold the jacket down "It's fine. You're fine,"

Ben's mind was racing, _What do I do? What do I do? Why did I bring him into the alley? This is all my fault? How do I fix this?_

Suddenly Peter's legs gave out, Ben quickly wrapped an arm around Peter's waist, catching him just in time. Cupping the back of the boys head, Ben slowly lowered his nephew to lay down on his ground.

Peter's skin was paler than before, and shiny streams tears dribbled down from his eyes. His glasses had already fallen off when he had stumbled to the ground.

Ben yanked Peter's backpack off and pushed it aside. Gently shushing the boy when he began whimpering in pain.

"Uncle Ben, It hurts!" Peter wept, holding the ruined jacket tighter against his wound, "It hurts! Ben, it hurts!"

"I know, I know," Ben gently shushed, brushing through the boys' curls, "I know it does,"

This wasn't supposed to happen. Peter was supposed to be safe at home, sleeping instead of finishing his homework. They were supposed to be home right now.

God, it should have been him who got shot.

Peter suddenly moved his hand to wrap around his wrist. Ben wasn't sure why but he didn't ask, instead, he wrapped the jacket closer against Peter.

Suddenly, a woman stepped into the alley, most likely to escape the rain as well, but when she saw the scene, she let out a shrill scream.

"Help Me! Call an ambulance!" Ben screamed at her, she didn't move at first before rushing to pull out her phone. For Ben, she took to long.

Peter then moved his hand to hold onto his uncle's larger one. Ben gently grasped his nephew's hand, there was a cold object in between them but he didn't let go.

His shouting had caught the attention of a few other people who were walking by the alley because more began piling in. When they saw Ben cradling his bleeding nephew, they looked shocked and horrified.

"Help Me! Please, my kid! He - He's been shot,"

Peter suddenly began coughing harshly, a red trail of blood poured from the corner of his mouth and his eyes began fluttering shut.

"No, no, no," Ben moaned as his own tears began streaming down his face, "No, baby no,"

Blinking heavily, Peter turned his head so he could look his Uncle in the eyes.

"B- Ben… I- love…you… M' s..rry…"

Peter's head leaned heavily against Ben's chest as his eyes closed, and his breathing stilled. His cold hand fell limp in Ben's hand.

"Peter? Peter!" Ben cried desperately, shaking his unresponsive body, "NO! No, please baby. Please open your eyes. Please!"

An old memory flashed in the man's mind. When Peter first arrived at their house. He had been so young and so innocent. Ben remembered how he had promised Richard and Mary that Peter would be safe with them, and how he promised himself that he would protect Peter to his dying breath.

Suddenly Peter's hand fell loose, and Ben finally saw what the object he was holding was.

It was the watch Ben had given the boy for his birthday. The one he had died for.

Peter was giving it back to him.

A grief-filled scream tore from the man's throat as he held his dead nephew closer. A few people in the crowd began to cry as well.

Loud sirens began to approach the scene as Ben buried his face into Peter's hair. His loud cries filled the night.

In the chaos, no one noticed a small black and red spider escape from Peter's fallen backpack and slowly crawl across the ground towards Ben. Climbing onto his arm and under his sleeve.


End file.
